There
are two main forms of interpersonal communication: one is verbal behavior, and
the other is non-verbal behavior. Non-verbal communication mainly includes body
language, paralanguage, object language, etc., which is a complex and vast
subject, and has increasingly occupied a dominant position in the development
of various social fields. This paper discusses the main function and importance
of nonverbal communication by taking intercultural business negotiation as an
example.

Non-verbal
behavior is a means of non-verbal communication, which means that communicators
use the natural features and instinct of the body to convey information to each
other and express all forms of thought in addition to verbal behavior.
Psychological research shows that in face-to-face interpersonal communication,
more than half of information exchange is achieved through silent non-verbal
communication. Non-verbal communication mainly includes body language,
paralanguage and object language. Non-language, like language, is an integral
part of culture. Therefore, understanding this complex and interesting silent
language can help us acquire more useful social information, especially in
cross-cultural business negotiations.

In
transnational business activities, when communicating with people from
different cultural backgrounds, nonverbal behaviors often convey more
information than verbal behaviors. Therefore, in order to promote the smooth
development of business activities, it is necessary to correctly understand the
implied information conveyed by non-verbal behaviors and appreciate the
"ineffability".

Body
language was first put forward by American psychologist Dr. Bodestar: the
movement of muscles and organs in all parts of the body can express and
communicate information, feelings and attitudes -- the body is information.
Body language includes social distance, eyes, gestures, body posture, facial
expressions and other aspects. Spatial distance is a basic part of body
language, which is of great significance in business activities. The distance
between communication parties not only reflects the relationship and
psychological state of the two parties, but also reflects their national and
cultural characteristics. The "space" here is not a physical concept,
but a sociological one. Different nationalities and different cultural groups
have different understanding of the same space distance.

In
the business negotiation, we should not only pay attention to control the
social distance reasonably according to the cultural background of the
negotiation object, but also observe the changes of facial expressions, head
and leg posture of the other party to understand whether the negotiation
process is smooth. According to psychologists, the posture of the legs and feet
reveals richer and truer information. The cross-legged sitting posture is a
symbolic act of self-preservation, conveying tension, anxiety and defensiveness
in the hope of motivating yourself by expanding the area of your body that it
touches. When the two sides have established a more harmonious and friendly
conversation, they will present a relaxed posture with their legs bent, legs in
shape and legs relaxed. So in business, if the other person is crossing his or
her legs, it shows that he or she is likely to be negative about what the other
person is suggesting and somewhat disinterested in the subject being discussed.
It's best not to ask the other person to make an immediate decision, but try to
change the conversation first, and then persuade the other person when he or
she has a more open body posture, which can increase the chances of business
success.

Countries
with different cultural backgrounds also have different understandings of eye contact.
When talking to Americans or people from English-speaking countries, they will
usually keep an eye on you to show that they are interested in what you are
saying and respect you. But when you talk to people from Asian countries like
China or Japan, they don't usually look at you all the time, which is a very
different way for them to honor you. Therefore, in intercultural communication,
it is necessary to understand the different meanings of eye expression in
different cultural backgrounds, not only to interpret the information conveyed
in the eyes of the other party, but also to respond to the other party with
your own eyes.

Paralanguage
refers to a kind of auxiliary non-verbal sign system for people to convey
information, exchange thoughts and express emotions through the form and
changes of a part of the human body and its appendages in the process of
communication, and also includes the accompanying sounds and functional sounds
of language. In business negotiations, people tend to think that speaking too
fast or stammering is a sign of low confidence or insincerity. Instead, people
who spoke loudly and at a moderate pace were seen as higher-status, more mature
people.

Under
different cultural backgrounds, some paralanguages have the same meaning, while
some are quite different. Silence plays a decisive role in cross-cultural
business negotiation between east and west. Westerners believe that a vocal
response should be given regardless of whether the negotiations are going well
or not. In social negotiations with easterners, a proper silence will make the
other party feel that you are thinking seriously, pay enough attention to the
negotiation, and affirm that the meaning conveyed is a silent power beyond
language. Therefore, when conducting intercultural business communication, we
should fully take into account the cultural background differences between the
two sides, accurately grasp the hidden meanings conveyed by the vice language
and make timely responses, so as to promote the further development of business
communication.

In
the cross-cultural business negotiation, language is of course important, but
if it is separated from the cooperation of non-verbal behaviors, the content
expressed by language will be poor and isolated, which will hinder the smooth
development of communication. Therefore, a correct and effective understanding
and application of non-verbal behaviors can help us to perceive the real
feelings of others in cross-cultural business activities, reduce or avoid
unnecessary conflicts caused by cultural differences, achieve the expected
negotiation objectives, and promote the smooth progress of business activities.